I was talking to a fellow, and it occurred to me that in football for someone to succeed, someone else has to fail. Is it the same in life? Because, I don’t want anybody to fail. In the movie “A Beautiful Mind” John Nash/Russell Crowe makes the point “one can only succeed, by ensuring the success of everyone else.” Now, you either believe that, or you don’t. But it remains true, either way.

For example, if your success or my success depends on someone else failing, then we’ve already failed, we just don’t know it. Not little things like playing checkers, or playing football – those don’t really matter. But real things like – if my job, my livelihood, depends on me beating someone else; whereby I get the contract or the sale; and he doesn’t, or vice versa. If that’s our system, our reality – then we’re doomed. We’re supporting or encouraging a system that by its very nature, defeats us.

So someone might say – “it’s a dog eat dog world.” And I’d say “dadapoopskie.” Which is meaningless, just like “it’s a dog eat dog world.” Words that mean nothing. Dadapoopskie. Either it’s a world of our making, or – – – we give up.

It’s easy to say – “we didn’t make this system we live under.” But somebody did. Some human or humans like you and me or us. Our floundering Founding Fathers weren’t gods. Half of ‘em never even picked up a musket. They got others to die for them. Just like the heads of corporations get others to do all the work for them. Doncha wonder why it always seems to go like that?

But actually it’s a decision we all have to make fer ourselves. Do we want to be leaders or followers? I remember…we were flying along, and hit something in the air. No, that’s an old song by BloodRock. Anyway, I remember me and Barry took this old dilapidated diner and made it into the first DJ-nightclub in the state. (Perty soon everybody copied us.) So Barry wants me to find out what kind of music all the clubs play on the east and west coasts. I said – “wot? you wanna be a leader, or a follower?” Just an example, but the thing is – that’s our choice in life. Y’wanna work for the man, or be the man. I mean, y’got seventy to ninety years, then it’s over for good. So, in that space of time, make it count.

Then the question of right and wrong came up. Which surprised me – I wasn’t ready for that, because it’s always been so obvious. So I figured it was obvious to everybody; you know, we always think everybody thinks like we do, ‘cause that’s all we know of reality. Anyway, if right and wrong aren’t obvious, then I guess we gots thousands of years of training on the issue. Like this guy’s coming home from the Greek play, and he says – “man, that Electra was really hot, huh?” And his wife says “Wilbert Thanopolis, you know damn good and well that play was about the moral conundrum she had to face; and the ethical decisions she had to make by herself.” So then he’s thinking, ask the oldest daughter when you get home, what the hell a moral curmudgeon is, or whatever she said.

And of course, Aristotle and J. Christ had this idea that you treat others the way you want to be treated. Which oughtta work, okay. No big logical errors or falacies in that one, right. Then Sartre took it a step further, said we always do that – every word and action is an expression of how we think everybody oughtta do things. So, I guess, geez, if you don’t know the difference between right and wrong; you should be a Republican.

Blogroll

Submit

Lit Up Magazine is whatever you want it to be. Send us your music, photos, video’s, news and events, your writing, opinions, whatever. This is your world. We want you happy. We want you here...all of you. Submit to litupmagazine@yahoo.com